Believe it or not, you can actually read the NME without having to agree with their thoughts on the bands or in fact get sucked into what they think is cool and what they don't.

I read it for years as I enjoyed the interviews, it had great listings for gigs and it also alerted you to up and coming bands. Which wasn't the easiest to hear about, whilst waiting for the yearly decent gig in Aberdeen to roll around.

I'd read the gig reviews but would without fail skip past the albums/singles reviews, as one man's White Album is another man's Spiceworld.

As far as I'm concerned, if you buy the NME you're alright with me. At least you're paying an interest into the music you buy other than walking into HMV, standing in front of the 'Top 40 Albums' section and slivering over the latest Coldplay, U2, Snowpatrol, Keane, 50 Cent or Shania Twain offering that you saw advertised on tv between Pop Idol and Big Brother.